Cheval Rouge comes through close home to take the spoils under Sam James© Photo Healy Racing
After finishing second at Bellewstown yesterday, Cheval Rouge went one place better this evening as she took the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Fillies Handicap for trainer Harry Rogers with Sam James in the saddle.
She just went down by a neck at Bellewstown yesterday to the Ger Lyons trained Boom To Bust over a mile and dropped back in trip to seven furlongs this evening she got her head in front.
Sent off at 6/1 (opened 8/1 on-course), the 5yo daughter of Tagula chased the leaders early on and was travelling well from over two furlongs out.
When she got some room on the inner Sam James got to work and she responded very well to pressure to get up close home and score by three parts of a length. Gra Geal Mo Chroi stayed on well to take second at 8/1 under Marc Monaghan and Austin Leahy while handicap debutante Rominintheglomin finished a further half a length back in third at 9/2 for Colm O’Donoghue and Pat Shanahan. Imaginationrunwild attempted to make all was still in front well inside the final furlong but she was run out of the placings close home and had to settle for fourth under Gary Carroll for Andy Oliver at 4/1 (backed from 11/2 on-course).
The 3/1 favourite Rock On Ciara could only manage fifth under Shane Foley for Joe Murphy.
Winning trainer Harry Rogers said afterwards: "I actually thought she wasn’t going to get out but that’s maybe the way to ride her.
"Sam was very good on her. He had nowhere to go and it just opened for him at the right time.
"She is probably just getting fit now (sixth run in the space of a month) and she might run at Fairyhouse tomorrow. We have to run her when the ground is like that."
The winner was recording her fourth career success this evening with her last win coming over the course and distance in September of last year.
(On-course reporting by Gary Carson)
